Romulo Avelica- Gonzalez, a father of four children was arrested by immigration agents impersonating police officers, after dropping his 13 year old daughter at her Highland Park School on February 28, 2017.
Over a hundred people gathered on March 6, at the Federal Immigration Building in downtown Los Angeles requesting that Mr. Rómulo be let free. Present at the rally were Romulo’s attorneys, his wife, daughters Joselyn and Fatima (13 year old who video taped the arrest of her father) as well as administrators, teachers and students from Fatima’s school.

Romulo’s case is vey symbolic. Romulo’s family is not only fighting to keep him. They are fighting for the thousands of people who are facing deportation.
Alan Diamante, Avelica’s Attorney:
How legitimate is it that they would take action and arrest him when he has his 13 year old in the car near the school. Not only I do believe is illegitimate, I think is immoral. And I think the state, whether is the state of California or whether is United States, should always consider the best interest of children when they take their action. We have to send a message to the government that this is inappropriate and that they have to provide a policy.
Que tan legítimo es que lo arrestaran frente a su hija de 13 años, cerca de la escuela. No solamente es ilegítimo, es inmoral.
El estado de California, o el país deben siempre considerer a lo niños cuando realizan operativos. Tenemos que enviar el mensaje al gobierno que esto inaceptable.

Joselyn Avelica:
Thank you all for coming this means a lot and my Dad is very strong and that’s why we are here, to be strong for him and as a community we can do a big thing. We’re not leaving. We’re bigger than Trump, we’re bigger than ICE, all of us together. Thank you.

I was born, and grew up in apartheid South Africa. I have gone through what I’m seeing happening here today. When Fatima came to school that morning, when I had to meet a traumatized 13 year old crying because she had no idea if she is going to see her father again, I was mad. I was mad as educator that someone or some politicians would allow ICE to do this to our children. They are bullying our children, they are tearing our families apart. As educators, we have empathy and we will continue educating our students to the best our ability because there’s nothing more scarier to this government than an educated Latino. They can do whatever they want, they can try whatever they want but we will stand by our children, will stand by our families because and injury to one is an injury to all.

We call on all schools, teachers, to unite to become stronger to learn what is needed to warrantee that our schools are sanctuary. That our children attend school and be educated without fear, so that they can reach their dreams and be the great citizens that we know they can be.

We only have to remember where we, immigrants come from. We have faced dictatorships, drug cartels, gangs, violence, crime, extreme poverty. We have crossed rivers, deserts, mountains. We have ridden on La Bestia. We have done everything and with much courage. So, what we must do is to hold unto those memories of the strength we’ve have shown in the past.

If we succumb to fear is to become complicit with what Trump wants. He wants us to give up our rights, to allow ourselves to be arrested without resistance. He wants us to self-deport. That has been his policy. So this is the time to prove them wrong. They want to spread fear, We will spread the fight, resistance, courage, resistance, bravery.